Category Archives: Greece

During the past election, Mitt Romney and fellow Republicans, warned the American people that to follow Obama economic ideas was the road to serfdom and poverty. Mitt insisted the solution was to cut, cut, cut, and embrace austerity as the model for ending our recession. There has been a monthly increase of new jobs averaging at least 150,000 and today’s figure for February was–198,000! However, European nations like the UK, Spain or Greece report DECLINE in the number of jobs and continual loss so that in Spain, the unemployment figure is about 24% for youth. Oh, the report also reveals that 24,000 more jobs were created in January than initially reported.

Health costs declined since the Affordable Health Act was passed. The economy is growing about 1.8% but it is growing, not declining as in Engand. Perhaps it is time for Mitt to head for the UK and assist the efforts of Prime Minister David Cameron to increase unemployment and make certain there is a stagnant economy.

The Council of Europe is planning to ban right wing political parties which believe that Adolf Hitler and Nazism were just part of European culture. The ban would be directed at far-right groups which are affiliated with neo-Nazi and racist anti-Semites who seek to rid Europe of those deemed to be undesirable. The Golden Dawn party of Greece which appears to love the old days of Fascism may be asked to leave the legislature. Hungary’s Jobbik party which recently blamed Jews for any and all problems in Europe may also be shown the door. Of course, all right wing political parties blame either Muslims or Roma for unemployment and recession.

Yes, right wing political parties are filled with ignorant nut cases. We in America have millions of such people who belong to the NRA or the Tea Party. I prefer allowing them to display ignorance and hate, eventually sound minded people will cease listening to their songs of hate.

It is unfortunate that poor Mitt Romney and his Wall Street friends do not live in Greece. At least its Constitution recognizes that job creators in the field of shipping are entitled to special tax breaks. Its laws at least recognize that doctors, lawyers, engineers and other such distinguished folk are not to be treated like ordinary folk. At a time when millions of Greeks are suffering from high unemployment, loss of their homes and savings, the wealthy of Greece can still afford this wonderful Mediterranean vacations and trips to America.

Greeks are in the streets while Greeks are receiving dividends from stocks or sending their millions to another country for safety. A new study reveals that undeclared income in Greece is about $50 billion a year, and you can bet for certain that money is not going into savings accounts of the ordinary Greek person.A Greek lawyer told a Der Speigel writer that his firm told the government it received $500 for a case while charging their German clients about $5,000.

It is all Greek to me how wealthy folk never pay the full price. Then again, I live in America where things are not that different.

To those who lived during the Depression of the 1930s it is difficult wiping from our minds how poverty and lack of work warps the soul. The neighbor who got a job selling popcorn and feeds the family popcorn can not readily leave our minds. People in Greece are furious at the outcome of their economic debacle. Hundreds of youth threw fire bombs and bottles and rocks at riot police. At least 70,000 took to the streets as those without seek to express frustration and anger at those held responsible.

The Greek people can shut down public services, they can pelt the police with whatever is in their hands, but in the end, there is need for an informed approach to what happened to a nation which went wild with speculation and allowed its economy to be controlled by the wealthy and professionals only interested in keeping their jobs.

Greece needs a balanced solution which entails reductions in wages, higher taxes(and actually collected) and also spending on infrastructure and encouragement of new business enterprises. One must curtail and spend to get out of a recession.

The people of Greece are suffering as a result of the current economic crisis which has led to demands from the European Union for austerity measures. There is no doubt German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been the leader in efforts to impose strick economic requirements that have resulted in rising unemployment and poverty for millions of Greeks. Ms. Merkel was in Athens and was greeted by thousands of demonstraters dressed in Nazi uniforms and giving Nazi salutes to pictures of Merkel dressed in a Nazi uniform. Greeks are angry at Germans bearing gifts of austerity rather than dollars.

Is Germany responsible for the Greek problem? Of course, German banks gave loans they never should have given to Greek banks. The fault for economic collapse lies in Greece as much as in Europe. Greek governments refused to make the wealthy pay taxes. Greek governments allowed the stifling bureaucratic society in which entry into occupations was restricted. We Americans are also suffering from governments that spent and did not demand higher taxes.

Merkel is a symptom, not the cause of current economic problems in Greece. Her solutions are part right, austerity has A place, but it is not the solution. There is need for government expenditures to stimulate the economy and enforcement of taxes on the wealthy!

It is quite clear the people of Greece regard themselves as being punished because they are Greek. They are furious at Germany and other members of the European Union for insisting on drastic cuts in government expenditures in order to pay off large debts. Thousands are in the streets of all major towns demonstrating anger and hurt at demands for austerity and fiscal responsibility. About 50,000 joined a union sponsored demonstration in Athens and others are participating in strikes.

Reality is that Greece has a haphazard system of tax collection which allows most people to sort of not pay the full rate. The Greek government for years has operated on the principle that the Tooth Fairy would repay loans. The fault lies not in the European Union, but in the culture of Greece. As an American, I understand full well how one can borrow, go into debt and never confront reality. We Americans are currently paying for our lack of reality and belief in the Tooth Fairy.

Unfortunately, the bottom line is when there is fiscal irresponsibility, the wealthy walk away with money in their pockets or at least in Switzerland. If you are in the pottery shop and break something, you own it.

There was an election in Greece to determine if the people of that troubled land wanted to walk out of the European Union or remain and be broke. Several political groups urged departing the European Union, saying the heck with debts and — actually they never clearly explained what a bankrupt Greece that did not pay debts would do for money. The New Democracy Party led by Antonis Samaras pledged to remain in the EU and work out some form of economic solution.

In reality, Greece will not emerge from the current mess without Germany and other EU nations adopting the Obama approach of economic stimulus instead of economic unemployment. People need jobs, people need wages, and then people will purchase goods and pay taxes. It is time for common sense economic stimulation and an end to Republican nutty ideas of not forcing the wealthy to pay more taxes and firing people.

It is time for Europe to learn how the Great Depression ended–GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION.

Ilias Kasidiaris has a love affair with the Nazi party of Adolf Hitler. He longs for the good old days when storm troopers walked the streets of his native Greece killing those damn Jews and other riff raff who were not true Aryans. Mr. Kasidiaris now heads the Gold Dawn political party in Greece which would like to take over the nation and restore law and order as beloved Nazi party used to impose on nations they conquered. And, they certaily did not allow MUSLIMS to live in the Aryan Greece they had conquered.

Ilias was on a TV program and some slut of a woman dared say to him that his politcal party wanted to take Greece back about 500 years. He pushed the woman and then assaulted another one. That is what a Nazi would do so why couldn’t he do it?

There will be another meeting of G8 leaders who will gather in Chicago in order to discuss the state of world economies. Protesters will gather in the near vicinity of these illustrious heads of states, but it is doubtful if their words or sounds will ever reach the ears of those with power. One young protester summed up feelings of his group: “All we want to do is work, to her able to support ourselves. But, thanks to the rich being greedy, we can’t even do that.”

First, let us clear up some confusion. Those who are rich are wealthy because they are wealthy. Protesters seek to transform a billionaire into someone who has to survive on a few hundred million. God has ordained that those with money are his favorite children. Just ask them. Let me make clear to those protesting, please check out the garbage area of hotels and you will find ample food for an evening’s mail.

Spain in 2012 typifies the old expression concerning being caught between a rock and a hard place. Unemployment is over 25% and for those under 30 it is much higher. The government is cutting, cutting, relying on austerity and concerned if anyone will even loan a dollar to the government. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned there is a “serious risk that investors will not lend us money or they will do so at an astronomical rate.” So, what to do?

The answer is clear to Angela Merkel, to David Cameron to Mitt Romney, to the Republican party– just cut government expenditures, lower taxes on the wealthy, and let a few people reduce calorie intake in order to end obesity and end rising debt. Of course, there is absolutely no evidence this approach will work, but it certainly looks great to the “job creators”of the modern world.

Somehow, it is still a bit unclear which type of jobs they are creating and for whom are those jobs? In the meantime, cut out the food.